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| Mini Countryman PHEV: Who said plugins had to be boring or nerdy? |
Mini Countryman PHEV and VW e-Golf shine in hot market
Plugins remain a hot item in New Zealand, last month, 191 new PEVs (2,5% PEV share)were sold in New Zealand, pulling the year result at a record 2% share, a significant improvement over the 1.4% of 2018 and giving hope for 2,5% result by year end.
Looking at the models ranking, the leader Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV (33 units) lost some ground to the runner-up Hyundai Kona EV, that registered 6 more units (39, in total) than the Japanese SUV.
One wonders how much higher would the Hyundai model be, if it wasn't battery constrained...
Elsewhere, two models shined in May, jumping positions in the ranking, the forever-young VW e-Golf hit a record 28 registrations last month, allowing it to reach a podium seat (#3), while the Mini Countryman PHEV came out of nowhere to 4th, thanks to 31 deliveries.
Despite a short electric range and Premium pricing, the British crossover model is proving to be a success in several markets, which shows that a plugin can be successfull even if the EV specs are underwhelming.
Good month also for the Tesla brand, that registered 16 units last month, and with the Model 3 said to land in the coming months, expect Tesla's Kiwi stores to work overtime during the austral winter...
In the Manufacturers ranking, Hyundai is leading the way, with 28% share, while the seven times Best Selling Manufacturer Mitsubishi is in Second Place (22%), with Tesla (9%) in Third, being closely followed by Volkswagen (8%).
On a side note: the new Toyota RAV4 Hybrid sold 640 units in the last two months in NZ.
ReplyDeleteJust imagine what Toyota could do if they had a plug-in RAV4.
True. Toyota had maybe the easiest of works for a Legacy OEM to go EV, but because they were in denial during all these years, only now they are catching up to a EV bandwagon that they could be leading from the start.
DeleteThey have numerous hybrids. All they have to do is increase battery size and add a plug ala Prius prime. They just aren't convinced of lithium ion battery longevity yet and price. Their hybrid batteries have shown bullet proof reliability and they won't get excited until ne we re batteries can do the same.
DeleteActually, the Prius Prime is a prime (heh) example that just adding a larger battery and plug does *not* make a good PHEV. It makes a mediocre one at best, with reduced room and very underwhelming EV performance. A decent PHEV needs a redesigned chassis to accommodate a larger battery without impinging on passenger/cargo space; a more powerful electric power train; and adapted control software that allows staying in EV mode without compromises as long as you have charge.
DeleteThe battery excuse would perhaps be believable, if other makers weren't proving that today's batteries can do just fine when properly designed...
'Just imagine what Toyota could do if they had a plug-in RAV4'- there are still many people who prefer buying Toyota-Hybrids to stay unplugged, the sales figures show that. Of course the price makes the difference as well.
ReplyDeleteDon't know about other markets: but in California at least, sales figures show that plug-less hybrids are losing ground as EVs are gaining momentum...
DeleteNot only in California, generally once a market reaches, say 5% BEV share, HEVs start to suffer and PHEVs stop growing.
DeleteAnd at 10% BEV share, PHEVs start to suffer losses.